Minnesota Lynx Lose Key Player for Rest of WNBA Season
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WNBA insider sees Minnesota Lynx needing to adjust in 3 key areas after Commissioner’s Cup championship loss
WNBA insider sees Minnesota Lynx needing to adjust in 3 key areas after Commissioner’s Cup championship loss. Minnesota, led by Napheesa Collier and holding a 14-2 record, sits atop the WNBA standings. The Fever, missing star Caitlin Clark, claimed victory and a $500,000 prize. The Athletic’s WNBA insider Chantel Jennings blamed the loss more on Lynx’s mistakes than the Fever’s brilliance. “Games like Tuesday’s indicate that when the Lynx don’t show up as themselves, when that chemistry isn’t leading the team, what becomes repeatable are the losses,” Jennings wrote on The Athletic. The Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve offered a brief analysis of the defeat in a postgame news conference. “We had some easy shots that didn’t fall as did they particularly early in the game,” Reeve said.
WNBA insider sees Minnesota Lynx needing to adjust in 3 key areas after Commissioner’s Cup championship loss
By Avi Shravan
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The Minnesota Lynx, nearly undefeated this season, fell to the Indiana Fever in the Commissioner’s Cup final on Tuesday night. The Fever, missing star Caitlin Clark, claimed victory and a $500,000 prize. Minnesota, led by Napheesa Collier and holding a 14-2 record, sits atop the WNBA standings.
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On Wednesday, The Athletic’s WNBA insider Chantel Jennings broke down the Commissioner’s Cup final, listing out three key areas of improvement for the Lynx.
Jennings blamed the loss more on Lynx’s mistakes than the Fever’s brilliance. There is no doubt that Indiana played well, even without their star guard, but it was evident that Minnesota was not playing its usual game.
“Games like Tuesday’s indicate that when the Lynx don’t show up as themselves, when that chemistry isn’t leading the team, what becomes repeatable are the losses,” Jennings wrote on The Athletic. “And that’s a thread Minnesota wants to avoid.”
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First, the insider pointed at the lack of defensive identity in the Lynx squad. She recalled the team’s first loss of the season against the Seattle Storm (94-84) on Jun. 12 to give a reference to Minnesota’s poor performance.
Next, Jennings pointed at the team’s dependency on Napheesa Collier and criticized the squad for not stepping up when their star player is having a bad night. Lastly, she criticized the team’s lack of offensive identity after the first 10 minutes of the game.
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Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve shares reason for 74-59 loss against Indiana Fever
After the loss, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve addressed reporters in a postgame news conference. When asked about the defeat, Reeve offered a brief analysis.
“We have a tendency to sometimes get impatient, and I didn’t think our commitment to moving the basketball and creating advantages, we had a hard time getting it done,” Reeve said (Timestamp: 0:20).
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“We had some easy shots that didn’t fall as did they particularly early in the game. Then they got their rhythm going and we lost ours. We had 27 points and then we had seven in the second quarter. That’s tough.”
Reeve praised the Fever for securing the win and beating them to spots. Lastly, she highlighted that her team lacked their usual fortitude and physicality in the game, which contributed to the loss.
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About the author Avi Shravan Avi Shravan’s first year of college was the year he discovered his passion for basketball and the NBA. He has been an ardent fan of the sport ever since, from waking up early to cover games to watching pundit discussions, he does it all.
Avi is a big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks and Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves and firmly believes that the young star is the next big thing in the NBA.
Avi graduated in Mass Communication and Journalism, further enhancing his skills as a journalist and a writer. In his spare time when he is not writing, you can find him playing video games, watching anime, or reading a book he randomly picked at a bookstore. Know More
Lynx focus on big picture after dropping first loss of season
Seattle rallies from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter to win 94-84. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve played down the significance of a single loss during the WNBA’s expanded 44-game regular season. The outcome had important ramifications for the Commissioner’s Cup standings. Seattle tied Minnesota atop the West standings at 3-1, with no other West team having fewer than two losses in head-to-head tiebreaker and final game of the season.. Skylar Diggins became the fastest player in league history to reach 5,000 career points and 1,500 assists in 302 games. Nneka Ogwumike had 21 points and 10 rebounds in her second double-double of the year.. The Storm’s 22 points off turnovers in addition to their points in the paint, six more than the Lynx had allowed in any game this season, coach Noelle Quinn said. The Lynx were the first pair of teams to remain undefeated since Minnesota went 13-0 and the Los Angeles Sparks went 11-0 to start 2016.
SEATTLE — The Storm ended the Minnesota Lynx’s undefeated start to the 2025 season Wednesday, rallying from an 11-point deficit in the third quarter to win 94-84 at Climate Pledge Arena and drop the Lynx to 9-1.
Behind much of the final period after a Seattle surge late in the third, Minnesota cut the deficit to one on a Kayla McBride 3-pointer with 1:07 to play. The Storm’s Erica Wheeler answered with a 3, kicking off a 9-0 run to end the game.
Despite the outcome, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve played down the significance of a single loss during the WNBA’s expanded 44-game regular season.
“I’m not concerned,” Reeve said. “This doesn’t mean anything. We didn’t play well enough to win. It’s probably a good message: If you want to win on the road, especially a place like Seattle and a team like Seattle, you’ve got to play a hell of a lot better.”
Coming off last year’s loss to the New York Liberty in a WNBA Finals that went the full five games, Minnesota had matched 9-0 New York win for win to start the season as two of nine teams in league history to start 9-0 or better.
According to ESPN Research, the Liberty and Lynx were the first pair of teams to remain undefeated since Minnesota went 13-0 and the Los Angeles Sparks went 11-0 to start 2016, when the Sparks eventually defeated the Lynx in the Finals.
Given Minnesota’s realistic aspirations to get back to the Finals, players know they must perform better than they did Wednesday.
“Obviously, it’s harder to learn after a loss,” forward Bridget Carleton said, “but I think it’s a good moment for us to just look inward. They had 50 points in the paint, where we pride ourselves on the defensive end. Things like that just can’t happen if we want to do what we want to do this season, so I think good reminders for us to be better.”
“They flat-out beat us,” said Reeve, highlighting the Storm’s 22 points off turnovers in addition to their points in the paint, six more than the Lynx had allowed in any game this season.
Seattle coach Noelle Quinn pointed to her team’s performance against a top opponent as evidence of what the Storm are capable of doing this season.
“Minnesota is a great team,” Quinn said. “They’re a well-oiled machine. They play with so much continuity, they move the ball. You make a mistake and they make you pay. I think the measuring stick was whose discipline is going to prevail today, because you look at Cheryl Reeve’s teams, they’re so disciplined what they do in their system.
“Today, we had to match that or exceed that. To be able to score 90 points and relatively hold players to their averages, I think that’s super important.”
Seattle shot 56.5% behind balanced contributions from the team’s starting five. Nneka Ogwumike had 21 points and 10 rebounds in her second double-double of the season, while Wheeler handed out a season-high nine assists and scored 20 points. Skylar Diggins had 18 points and six assists, becoming the fastest player in league history to reach 5,000 career points and 1,500 assists in 302 games.
No. 2 pick Dominique Malonga also played a key role for the Storm, scoring eight points and grabbing four rebounds in 13 minutes of action while defending Napheesa Collier. According to GeniusIQ tracking, Collier — who had a game-high 25 points on 9-of-23 shooting — missed five of her seven shot attempts when Malonga was her primary matchup.
“She had her way with us, and she was very productive in her minutes today,” Reeve said of Malonga. “She’s getting more and more comfortable, and she dominated our bigs.”
The outcome had important ramifications for the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup standings. Seattle tied Minnesota, the reigning Commissioner’s Cup champion, atop the West standings at 3-1. Because head-to-head results are the first tiebreaker and no other West team has fewer than two losses in Commissioner’s Cup play, the Storm will represent the conference in the July 1 final if they can win their remaining games on Saturday at Golden State and Tuesday in Los Angeles.
“There’s a few layers for today,” Quinn said. “There’s Commissioner’s Cup, you know, we’re at home and we want to get on a streak and a roll. I talk to you guys a lot about the wins and losses, but there’s a way we want to be playing and today that feels really good.”
Although losing doesn’t feel good for the Lynx, Reeve was already looking ahead to the team’s next game Saturday, hosting the Sparks.
“We’re going to do like we always do,” Reeve said. “We didn’t win a basketball game. We didn’t accomplish the schemes that we were trying to accomplish. We have to get ready for Saturday’s game.”
Minnesota Lynx Lose Key Player for Rest of WNBA Season
Minnesota Lynx Lose Key Player for Rest of WNBA Season. Samuelson injured her left foot in a game against the Connecticut Sun on June 29. Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve has to make adjustments to her lineup without Samuelsen. She had played in 16 games for Minnesota this season, averaging 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, Yahoo Sports reported.
The Minnesota Lynx have been playing fantastic ball this WNBA season, but they will have to move forward without one of their key players. News came down on Friday that wing Karlie Samuelson will be lost for the rest of the season.
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Samuelson injured her left foot in a game against the Connecticut Sun on June 29, forcing her to the sidelines. Minnesota probably was hoping for some good news, like Samuelson just suffering a twisted ankle.
Well, it’s much worse than that and the Lynx have to move forward without Samuelson. According to a team press release, Samuelson will undergo season-ending surgery on her left foot.
Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve has to adjust lineup without Samuelson
“An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) was taken at Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine in Minneapolis, where Samuelson also met with Mayo Clinic foot and ankle specialist, Dr. Norman Turner III, to further evaluate and discuss treatment options,” the team said in a press release.
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“Samuelson will undergo surgery and subsequently miss the remainder of the 2025 season. Further updates on her progress will be provided when available.”
Samuelson, 30, is a WNBA veteran who also has played for the Los Angeles Sparks and Washington Mystics. She had played in 16 games for Minnesota this season, averaging 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, Yahoo Sports reported.
Samuelson joined the Lynx this season, looking to win a WNBA title with the always competitive team. Now, though, her title aspirations have been put on hold. Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve now has to make adjustments to her lineup without Samuelson around.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Fever to lose key veteran for AmeriCup
The Indiana Fever are set to lose another key player in Damiris Dantas for the upcoming AmeriCup. It comes as the Fever are already without another key veteran in DeWanna Bonner. Bonner has been away from the team due to personal reasons. The Fever have sputtered to a .500 record (6-6) amid a few absences including a recent injury to star guard Caitlin Clark. Clark has since returned to the lineup, but the Fever will be down two players in their frontcourt rotation.
The Indiana Fever came into the 2025 WNBA season with visions of potentially winning a championship. But in the early goings of the regular season, the Fever have sputtered to a .500 record (6-6) amid a few absences including a recent injury to star guard Caitlin Clark. Clark has since returned to the lineup, but the Fever are set to lose another key player in Damiris Dantas for the upcoming AmeriCup, as per Chloe Peterson of The Indy Star.
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Damiris Dantas’ upcoming departure for AmeriCup comes as the Fever are already without another key veteran in DeWanna Bonner. Bonner has been away from the team due to personal reasons. Ahead of the Fever’s game against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, head coach Stephanie White acknowledged that there is no current timetable for Bonner’s return.
With no Bonner or Dantas, the Fever will be down two players in their frontcourt rotation. That could possibly mean more minutes for veteran Brianna Turner and rookie Mikayla Timpson. Dantas has been a key backup center for the Fever this season.
This is Dantas’ second season with the Fever after signing as a free agent ahead of last season. Her Fever debut got off to a slow start as she recovered from an injury, but she’s become an integral part of the team.
Dantas’ has appeared in 12 games this season at a little over 11 minutes per game. She’s been averaging 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds with splits of 36.2 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 85.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
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The No. 12 overall pick in the 2012 WNBA Draft by the Minnesota Lynx, Dantas did not make her WNBA debut until the 2014 season. She played one season for the Lynx before being traded to the Atlanta Dream. Dantas spent two and half seasons with the Dream before returning to the Lynx. She played four more seasons with the Lynx before joining the Fever.
Related: Fever HC Stephanie White offers DeWanna Bonner update before Aces game
Related: Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski clowning Fever’s Caitlin Clark for traveling
Napheesa Collier, Cheryl Reeve lose key player for the Lynx due to a season-ending injury
Karlie Samuelson suffered a serious injury to her left foot on June 29. She will require surgery and will miss the rest of the WNBA season. The Minnesota Lynx are currently leading the Western Conference with a 15-2 record. Their success is largely driven by the stellar performance of Napheesa Collier, who is undoubtedly their standout player. The Lynx were last year’s Finals runner-up and have kept their core intact, showcasing a strong, cohesive unit that plays elite defense and shoots the three-pointer exceptionally well. For more WNBA news, check out our live updates from the 2015 WNBA Season here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-261515/Minnesota-Lynx-Karlie-Samuelson-suffers-serious-injury.html#storylink=cpy.
On June 29, during what turned out to be a victory for the Western Conference–leading Minnesota Lynx over the Connecticut Sun, Karlie Samuelson suffered a serious injury to her left foot. Following further evaluation, it was confirmed that she will require surgery—ruling her out for the rest of the season.
The news was confirmed by WNBA reporter Mitchell Hansen, who shared further details about this significant setback for one of the league’s top contenders via his official account on X (formerly Twitter).
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“The Minnesota #Lynx announce that an MRI was done on Karlie Samuelson to further evaluate and discuss treatment options for her injured foot,” Hanses stated via @M_Hansen13.
Karlie Samuelson #44 of the Minnesota Lynx on the court in the first half against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena on May 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
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He finally added: “A decision was made for Samuelson to undergo surgery and as a result she will miss the remainder of the 2025 season.”
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see also Caitlin Clark’s key Fever teammate, Sophie Cunningham, issues strong criticism of new WNBA changes
What does Samuelson’s injury mean for the Lynx?
Karlie Samuelson’s season-ending left foot injury, requiring surgery, is a significant blow for the Minnesota Lynx. As a versatile veteran wing, she provided valuable depth and a consistent outside shooting threat off the bench, having started some games this season. Her absence means the Lynx lose a reliable contributor and a player capable of stepping into a larger role when needed.
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To replace Samuelson, Head Coach Cheryl Reeve will likely lean on younger players to step up and absorb increased minutes. Diamond Miller is a prime candidate, having shown flashes of her potential and being a high draft pick with the size and athleticism to fill the void. The Lynx may also look to Natisha Hiedeman to see more playing time, as well as potentially adjusting other rotations to compensate for Samuelson’s absence.
The Lynx’s outstanding season
The Minnesota Lynx are having a phenomenal season, currently boasting a 15-2 record and leading the Western Conference. Their success is largely driven by the stellar performance of Napheesa Collier, who is undoubtedly their standout player. She’s consistently delivering impressive scoring, rebounding, and defensive numbers, solidifying her status as an MVP frontrunner and a key reason for the team’s dominant run.
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Given their outstanding record and Collier’s leadership, the Lynx are absolutely legitimate contenders for the WNBA title. They were last year’s Finals runner-up and have kept their core intact, showcasing a strong, cohesive unit that plays elite defense and shoots the three-pointer exceptionally well.
Source: https://athlonsports.com/wnba/minnesota-lynx/minnesota-lynx-lose-key-player-for-rest-of-wnba-season